A NEWBAY MEDIA PUBLICATION How Will You Tell Your Story?
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DM_cover1_ph1.qxd 12/17/10 9:04 AM Page 1 A NEWBAY MEDIA PUBLICATION How will you tell your story? Rev. Robert Jones, Sr. uses folk music to tell stories, and CDs to keep them alive. “Folk music is about everyday living. It sings about work and poverty, about love and loneliness, about bravery and fear, and it tells stories. Some stories are fun, some are poignant and some strike to the heart of who we are and who we aspire to be. Those of us who play this music have a responsibility to pass along its lessons to those who are ready eager to listen and learn.” Make it happen. www.discmakers.com Contents S The Musician’s Guide to Recording Presented by Music Player Network and SUZI ROK WORK IT! 4 Make Your Studio a Better Creative Space WRITE IT! 8 Songwriting Tips From the Hitmakers PRODUCE IT! 12 Top Producers Share Their Studio Secrets TRACK IT! 17 Recording Stunning Piano Tracks HAGGARD UL 24 40 Paths to Recording Great Guitar Tones PA 30 Capturing Beautiful Acoustic Guitar Sounds 35 Recording Lead Vocals For Maximum Impact 40 A Comprehensive Guide to Recording Bass 50 Capturing the Boom and Bang of Drums FROM DISC MAKERS 48 Why the CD Is Still a Crucial Music Media For Indie Artists 49 Choosing a CD Manufacturer MIX IT! 57 34 Steps to Crafting Dynamite Mixes MASTER IT! 61 Home-Studio Mastering Tips & Techniques S MARKET IT! SUZI ROK 65 Get Yourself Out There! HEY! Reading someone else’s copy? Get your own copy here: http://www.discmakers.com/RecGuide COVER PHOTO: SUZI ROKS discmakers.com/RecGuide THE MUSICIAN’S GUIDE TO RECORDING 3 DM_workit.qxd 12/13/10 10:29 AM Page 4 Work It! Make Your Studio a Better Creative Space Maximize Your Productivity our studio is an extension of your 12-1/2" x 12-1/2" x 5-3/4". If you don’t need Don’t let this turn into a catch-all “junk” drawer. creative self. In order to maximize that much capacity, there’s the 224 CD Wallet Reserve it for items you use on a daily or near- your creative productivity, you need and 128 CD Wallet. They’re available at most daily basis. —MG to maximize your studio as well— office supply stores; check the web for who’s makeY it efficient, ergonomic, pleasant, and got the best deal. —Craig Anderton DIM THE NOISE comfortable. Any effort you put into stream- Although mood lighting sets a good vibe, dim- lining your gear, de-cluttering, beautifying, and DO A CLEAN SWEEP mers often emit loads of RF noise. But you can improving your space will result in increases Most studio owners are pack-rats—we keep get one level of dimming, with less noise than in productivity, creativity, and inspiration. everything, on the chance we might need it usual dimmers, by inserting a rectifier diode Here’s a collection of good ideas for making someday. The last time I moved my studio, I real- (like Radio Shack #276-1144) in one leg of the your studio the most efficient, productive place ized there were pieces in the racks that hadn’t AC line going to an incandescent lamp. Please it can be. been powered up in over five years. I had cables note that this circuit will not work with fluores- for computers I got rid of 10 years ago! I went cent lights or anything that uses a transformer. EMBRACE through with a fine-tooth comb, placing each Caution! You’re dealing with potentially lethal DISTRACTIONS item in my room into one of four categories: voltages, so you better know what you’re doing! These days, most engineers and musicians 1. Never use, can’t sell. Trash it now! In most Make SURE the circuit breaker is OFF for the spend hours staring at computer screens. This cases, broken/damaged/inoperable stuff fits line feeding the light and its associated switch. can be very hard on your eyes. It’s essential to here. If you haven’t fixed or replaced it, you One way to implement the dimmer is to remember to blink often (really!) to keep your probably don’t need it very much. replace a single light switch with a dual one eyes lubricated. As an even better way to keep 2. Don’t use, but someone else might. These (e.g., Leviton Decora #5634-WSP), wired as your eyes fresh and rested, place something items go up for sale or trade. shown in the diagram. Note that this switch visually distracting behind the monitor. A win- 3. Use occasionally. Remove these items assembly includes a jumper between one side dow works, an interesting piece of art may do from the studio, and store them nearby. Be bru- of each switch; leave this jumper in place. the trick, or I find that something with a bit of tally honest — when was the last time you truly Switch A is the on-off switch, Switch B sets dim motion—a TV (with the sound off, of course) put the piece to use? If it was more than a year (switch open) or bright (switch closed). Inci- — can be a great aid in keeping my eyes mov- ago, consider getting rid of it. dentally, using the dim position also extends ing and refocusing. If your eyes feel tired after 4. Use all the time. These items belong in the a light bulb’s life dramatically. —CA a long session, find ways to visually distract studio where they’re easily accessible. —MG yourself; it works! —Mitch Gallagher MO’ MONITORS KEEP THE I have three computers in my studio. At one BETTER CD STORAGE HELPERS AT HAND time I had them connected to a KVM switch, Storing sample CDs in CD binders (also called There are some small items I reach for con- which allowed me to use one monitor and one CD wallets) not only saves space, but it’s eas- stantly—certain adapters, tape measure, keyboard/mouse with all three. But I’ve come ier to flip through the binder than read the screwdrivers, SPL meter, etc. To keep them to realize that screen real estate is critical. I still spines of CD or DVD cases. For example, the handy, I have a rackmountable drawer (Quik- use the KVM switch for the keyboard and Fellowes 320 CD Wallet packs 320 CDs, or 160 Lok, Middle Atlantic Products, and Raxxess are mouse, but each computer has its own moni- CDs and 160 booklets, in a space that’s only some sources) in one of my racks. Warning: tor. (I’ve gone to flat-panels to minimize 4 THE MUSICIAN’S GUIDE TO RECORDING discmakers.com/RecGuide DM_workit.qxd 12/13/10 10:45 AM Page 5 Work It! footprints.) The main DAW computer has a big ing, pick up some Velcro or elastic band-type you rearrange your rack gear. You don’t need a screen, while the PC (mainly used for Acid and cable wraps to get things in order. —Greg Rule big honking construction-grade drill; a com- GigaStudio) and a second Mac (used as a server, pact unit provides plenty of power. —MG for backup, burning discs, and miscellaneous POSITIVE PLACEMENT tasks) have 15" screens. —MG I place my computer keyboard and monitor off CONTAINMENT to one side at 90? to my control surface and Organizing cables, adapters, and miscellaneous GROUP THE GEAR speakers. This lets me focus on the computer “stuff” can be a nightmare. I went to my neigh- Some studios seem to install rack gear randomly. screen when editing and doing “visual” work, borhood Wal-Mart and purchased a stack of I prefer to group rack pieces by function: All my and allows me to focus with my ears when I’m plastic boxes with snap-on lids in different sizes synths/MIDI interfaces are in one rack, mic pre- performing mix moves. Editor-at-Large Craig (priced from 88 cents for a shoebox size to under amps are together in another, as are processors, Anderton takes this approach one step further: $3 for a large bin). I gathered each type of item interfaces/recorders, and so on. Having a He sets up two parallel tables, 5' apart. The com- in a box: short 1/4" patch cables, medium-length scheme in mind makes it easier to find and use puter monitor and keyboard go on one, mixer MIDI cables, mic stand clips, XLR adapter cables, what you want, and to run cabling. —MG and speakers on the other. In addition to improv- etc., then applied labels. The boxes stack nicely, ing concentration when performing visual versus allowing more efficient use of space. —MG SNAKE THE CABLES listening tasks, he finds that having speakers Once you’ve settled on the lineup and place- behind him cuts down on ear fatigue when doing DON’T BOX ME IN ment of your main studio components, and non-critical work. If he needs to listen more care- Is there anything worse than crouching behind have everything wired, snake those cables. You fully, he just turns his chair around. —M a dimly lit rack, barely able to move, trying to can pick up some flexible (and affordable) tub- get a cable plugged in the right jack? It may ing at OfficeMax and other such outlets. In POWER DRIVE seem like a waste of space, but leaving plenty studios where cabling is visible, a couple of Is there a more valuable studio tool than the of room to maneuver behind racks, and pro- snakes will look much cleaner to you and (most power screwdriver? If you don’t have one, run— viding adequate light back there, whether a importantly) your clients than piles of tangled don’t walk—to your nearest store and purchase flashlight or small lights mounted inside the spaghetti.